The Lion and The Eagle
by Howlhardt
Summary: A young American woman is recruited by a Germanic group to help them turn the tides on the Omnic War. But what she didn't expect was to find love.
1. Welcome to Germany

Walking through the woods of the gorgeous German forest, my eyes filled with curiosity and wonder.

"For this day and age, it's amazing such luscious forests still exist! Though I shouldn't be surprised about German having such a diverse landscape!"

I was recruited by a German organizations called the Crusaders to help engineer ways to help during the steadily rising threat from Omnics. I was a weapon specialist, and a researcher in genetics that was geared towards weapons.

Living in America most of my life, I wasn't use to seeing so much natural life in one place. Sure, I'd seen trees, grass, and flowers, but never in such vast amounts!

I had decided to walk to the city of Eichenwalde by foot, since getting there by vehicle was very difficult, despite holding the king of Germany there. Though the walk was rough, the sights were well worth it.

"I wonder why people are so afraid to come here alone... It's so beautiful!"

Suddenly, a swarm of enemy Omnics surrounded me, their guns pointing directly at me.

"SURRENDER NOW, HUMAN, AND WE WON'T KILL YOU!" one announced

I smirked.

"I'm sure you won't. But unfortunately, I have important business to attend to, so if you don't mind me heading on my way..."

I began to leave, but the sound of guns being cocked swarmed around me.

"THAT IS NOT AN OPTION! SURRENDER NOW!"

From my back, I pulled out two blades, each only one sided, and got into a fighting stance. The robots eyes glowed red, and began to fire.

Dodging their swarms of bullets, my blades sliced into their arms, dropping the ones with guns on them to the ground.

"RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!"

"I doubt it."

Swinging the blades together, they clicked, creating one large blade, and a scope on the top with a barrel. Climbing up one of the downed robots, I aimed my blade, and fired upon them, knocking their glowing red eyes out and making them spaz.

I laughed as I dropped to the ground, now that all the enemies were done for, and continued my journey.

But I was far from done.

"THIS HUMAN HAS TAKEN OUT A SMALL PLATOON! SHE IS DANGEROUS! EXTERMINATE THE THREAT!"

More Omnics appeared, firing on me, as I began to run. THERE WERE AT LEAST TWENTY THERE! There was NO WAY I was going to get out of there alive!

Snapping the large blade back onto my back, I sprinted faster, hoping to outrun them. But their treads made it easy for them to move quickly on rough terrain, easily catching up to me.

"S-Shit..."

I was surrounded, several guns trained on me only inches from my face. I was going to die, and no one would ever know...

"HAMMER DOWN!" came a loud, Germanic voice

Suddenly, an Omnic's head was slightly crushed, but enough to knock it out. Several other heavy, midevil weapons began to swing behind the robots as they fell one by own, though that didn't mean there weren't people taken out...

One in particular with chocolate brown hair and an impressive beard knelt beside me.

"Are you ok...?" he asked, his voice was sweet and charming, even though he was barely taller than myself

I noticed in the corner of my eye one of the robots was still operational, aiming at the man.

"WATCH OUT!" I screamed, pushing the man out of the way

The whirling sound of bullets echoed in the forest as their pierce my side, the burning sting from the hot metal made me scream in agony.

I don't remember what happened next after that, because the next thing I knew, I was out.


	2. Making New Friends

My eyes opened up to being in an infirmary bed, my chest and waist covered in bandages, and an oxygen mask on my face. The same man I had saved was sleeping in a chair next to the bed.

"Ah! You're finally awake! Good evening, my name is Dr. Gutherzig of the Crusaders! You took a bad hit from that Omnic gunfire the other day, and we were worried that you might not make it!

Especially poor Reinhardt over there! He hasn't left your side ever since you came in here, poor thing. Said that you're the one who saved his life, and he felt absolutely terrible he let you get hurt. Such a sweet man, too..."

The doctor, besides wearing a long, white coat, was a young woman with short, cropped black hair, and wore rounder glasses over her hazel eyes. She smiled sweetly.

"You must be Cassidy Spencer, the new recruit from America, correct? Age: 25, Height: 5'9" inches or 1.75 meters, Weight: 165 pounds or roughly 74.84 kilograms. Born in Montana, but moved to California after grade school to pursue a career in weapon engineer, with a minor in Biology. Was recruited after school for not only quick, but new inventions, and successfully engineered a healthy liver that was used to save the life of a young woman.

Your record is impressive, so I can see why the Crusaders would want you!"

I slowly sat up, removing the mask from my face, and smiled.

"They thought I could help turn the tide of this war. They were skeptical about bringing in an American, but I can assure you, I'm no slacker!"

The doctor laughed.

"I don't doubt it! And taking gunfire on your first day in Germany too! The Crusaders chose wisely to help."

I blushed, scratching the back of my head and nervously laughed.

"T-Thanks..."

"MEIN GOTT, YOU'RE AWAKE! Danke Gott..."

I turned to see that the young man was finally up, smiling wide, and tears nearly falling from his eyes. My freckled cheeks were nearly hidden from how much I was blushing. My fingers twirled nervously in my carrot colored hair as the waves fell over my shoulders.

"Bitte, guter herr. You're not hurt, are you...?"

He laughed loudly.

"ME? NO! You saved my life! Thanks to you, I got out of there unscratched!"

The young man lowered his head.

"But I'm sorry you had to get hurt because of me... You weren't properly equipped, and I've been trained to take hits like that..."

His eyes locked with mine, those sky blue eyes pierced through mine, making my whole face turn red. Wow... He really was handsome...

"Forgive me for being so rude... Reinhardt Wilhelm is my name! I'm newer to the Crusaders, but I've trained all my life to be a solider."

He held out his hand to me, which I smiled, and gladly took it.

"My name is Cassidy Spencer. It's nice to meet you, Wilhelm."

He let go, smiling wider.

"JUST CALL ME REINHARDT! OR Rein! Either way works for me!"

I couldn't help but giggle from how excited and loud this man was. How could such an adorable man be a solider...?

"I hate to interrupt your conversation, but I thought you should know that our leader wants you to take it easy for a little while longer. Doesn't want you to die before you got started!" the doctor informed me

"Tell Balderich that I'm fine! He's-" as I started to complain, but the sting from the bullets screamed, telling me otherwise

The doctor shook her head, while Reinhardt looked even more concerned.

"That's what he said. No buts. You're not ready for real work yet. You'll have plenty of time to work once you've fully recovered."

"Are you sure you're alright...?"

My gaze turned back to the sweet man, and nodded.

"I'm fine, Reinhardt. Thank you for your concern, though."

His large smile was painted back on his face as he stood up.

"Unfortunately, I have ta go, but it was nice meeting you, and I'm glad you're still alive. Guten tag, freund."

The dark brown haired man walked out of the infirmary, while the doctor took his place beside me.

"You know, he really is such a sweet man. It's a wonder how such a man could be such a great solider..."

"Same, Doc..."

She smiled coyly.

"And such an attractive man too... Any girl, or man, would be lucky to have such a great man."

I began blushing again.

"Hey! I just got here! You stop that!"

She laughed, as I lightly punched her shoulder.

"You were blushing so much, your freckles disappeared!"

I began laughing with her, and right then I knew we were going to be great friends.


	3. Why I Was Really There

A couple weeks went by, and finally Dr. Gutherzig deemed me ready to work again, despite how much I fought with her to leave.

But that time gave me time to get to know the good doctor better, which by the time I was able to leave, we were laughing and joking as good friends.

And that wasn't the only thing that happened during my time in the infirmary! The sweet German soldier continued coming to visit everyday, making sure I was ok, and constantly asking me questions about myself, while I bugged him about his own history. Dr. Gutherzig continued to pick on me every time he left.

But Reinhardt and I had also become good friends, even going far enough to do things like sneak in snacks in my room, or show me books and magazines that he thought would catch my interest, while I taught him some things I knew of from America.

Walking out of the infirmary, after she told me where Balderich was, followed the directions to his throne room, where the large man sat. He smiled as he rose from his seat, and walked towards me.

"It is good to see you finally up, Cassidy. As you probably already know, I'm Balderich von Alder, leader of the Crusaders, and King of Germany." he took my tiny hand against his large one, and kissed it, "A pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Spencer."

I blushed a bit, before the royal released my hand.

"It's an honor to finally meet you, your grace. You already know who I am, but I'm Cassidy Spencer, a recent graduate in Engineering with a minor in Biology, and top of my class."

He laughed, which echoed throughout the hall.

"I know! That's one reason I chose you! And with some of your inventions you built while you were still in school, I'm more than honored to have such a talented individual in my presence!"

My cheeks became a bit more red. The large man placed a hand behind my back, and began to guide me out of the room.

"Now, the main reason I hired you is because I have a special project I wanted you to work on..."

My eyebrow perked up, looking straight up to him.

"What do you mean...?"

He stopped before a suit of armor, pulling down one of the arms on it, and a door was revealed behind it, making me gasp, before we stepped inside, and it slid closed behind us.

"You see, Miss Spencer... You know we've been having a lot of troubles with those Omnics lately, correct?"

I nodded.

"Before this crisis occurred, I built one of my own, before war broke out, and it ended up taking out my father..."

My eyes fell to the floor, the horrid memory beginning to return...

The king placed his hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry about your loss... I lost my own wife to this war myself..."

I rose my head once more.

"I-I didn't...!"

He smiled sadly.

"It's not your fault. You had no idea, das fräulein. But let me continue explaining why I brought you here..."

We were walking down a large set of stairs down, until we entered into an enormous labratory. My eyes grew wide with both curiosity and wonder.

"This is our secret lab where we've been testing on captured Omnics to find ways to beat them." he turned to look at me, "And where I want you to find a way to make super soldiers..." 

I nearly choked.

"S-SUPER SOLDIERS?! S-Sire, that's so dangerous! You could kill someone!"

"And that's why I want you to experiment on myself. I'd rather not risk my own men before myself."

This man was CRAZY!

"But what if...!"

He knelt down beside me.

"Nothing we've been doing lately has been working, or it's far too expensive to do it. We need something that not only will it pay off in the end, but will actually turn the tide of this war. And creating super soldiers are what my concil and I have come to.

"But for now, I wish to keep it a secret, until we have the bugs worked out, and use it on my men."

Nerves began to creep up me. I was tasked with the life of the KING OF GERMANY! AND TO MAKE HIM AND HIS MEN INTO SUPER SOLDIERS?!

He smiled kindly.

"I know you're worried about this, and if you don't want to do this, I won't blame you. But please... You're our best bet of getting this to work..." He stood up, pointing at the scientist around the huge lab, "Whatever you need, I will provide you. I have gathered some of the brightest minds in bio-science, but none have done nearly as much as you have in your short time in college. I KNOW you can do this!"

I gulped, but I nodded.

"Very well, your highness. I will help, but I need a lot of leway for how I do my work. This might tap into areas that might not always be... ethical..."

He raised a brow.

"What do you mean...?"

"Well you see, sir, I have to probably experiment on animals, for example. Plus, I have a friend of mine in a moon base that might also be able to help... If you don't mind me contacting him..."

The king smiled and nodded.

"You made it sound like you were doing something far worse than you really mean..."

"The most I ask that would push my limit is some of the experiments I might have to perform on yourself..."

"Then do whatever it takes."

I nervously gulped. 


	4. An Unexpected Surprise

Time flew by quickly with the research on the Super Soldier program, spending hours on end in the lab, experimenting on animals, and more.

And I hardly left the lab after I started, which made the doctor and Reinhardt a bit concerned, asking me if I was ok, and saying how they hardly saw me.

So one night, while I was sleep one night in my bed, a muffled sound could be heard around my window, causing me to stir.

What I didn't expect was Reinhardt sitting on the other side of it, waving to me!

"OH MY GOD!"

Throwing on slippers and rushing to the window, I carefully opened it.

"Reinhardt! What are you doing?! I'm on the fourth floor!"

He laughed, no hesitation in his voice, as I groaned yanking him into the room.

"It was a good challenge! And good exercise!"

I smacked his head.

"YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!"

He laughed even more, which I hit him a few more times before I slumped to the floor.

"Why are here? And how come you didn't just using the door?"

His smile slowly faded, looking up to me.

"Ya've been so busy lately, I hardly see ya anymore! So I figured I'd come ta visit when you were still in your room! But they're patrolling the halls, so I climbed up to your room so I wouldn't get caught."

I shook my head, then looked up to him.

"Heh... I suppose it's been a while since we last chatted... I've just been so busy lately, that I keep losing track of time... And sleep..."

"What are you working on anyway...?"

I turned away from him, and sighed.

"The king doesn't want me to say right now... But I'm just trying to help your people come up with a way to stop the Omnic threat... It's just a bit more complex than I thought it'd be..."

He rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Come on, I want ta show you something..."

I looked at him in confusion, wondered how he was going to show me anything with the patrol going on...

What the result wasn't anything I had expected, him tying me to his back as he climbed the walls of Eichenwalde Castle, causing me to cling to him with dear life, and trying to stay calm and quiet.

'REINHARDT! WHY DID I LISTEN TO YOU?! YOU'RE GOING TO GET US KILLED!'

He was quietly chuckling as he swung his body over the edge of the wall, the two of us finally back on steady ground.

I did not take anytime to tear off the bonds on us, and lean against a wall, trying to regulate my breathing. He, however, just stood up and pet my head.

"I'd never drop you, you know. Come on! We're going to miss it if you don't hurry!"

"Ok ok! Geeze!"

He drug me to the edge of the wall, looking out to the village.

"What am I suppose to see...?"

He held my shoulders while standing behind me.

"Just wait. I promise it's worth the journey up here."

Slowly, the sun began to rise, and the buildings reflected just right so that it looked like they were sparkling, my eyes growing wide, and my jaw dropping.

"Oh wow... This... This is gorgeous..."

Reinhardt moved to stand next to me.

"You know... I was wondering..."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see he was nervous, twirling his fingers and looking away from me. I faced him, a little bit confused.

"Yes Reinhardt...? What is it...?"

His eyes locked with mine, which caused him to blush.

"I-I was wondering... W-would you like to... G-Go out together s-sometime...?"

It was my turn to blush.

"Y-You mean... Like a date...?"

He nodded, and I covered my mouth and gasped before turning away from him.

"Y-You don't have to answer right now, b-but..."

Turning back, I grabbed his hand, petting it.

"I'd love to, Rein."

"T-Then how about Sunday evening, by the castle gate around eighteenish...?"

I smiled and nodded.

"It's a date."


	5. A Heart-filled Night

Sunday night came faster than I expected, continuing to bury myself in work, but now getting stuck in how to get the project to work.

We had a base, thanks to documents of experimentation on super soliders an old German solider had concocted, which was used on a man named Steven Rodgers, and my friend on the space station working with gorillas.

It would strengthen the animal, but either it'd lose it within several days, or have sever medical conditions that caused them to die. It was far too rapid for the body to handle without damaging the brain.

Frustrated, I almost forgot about the date until the day came, which Reinhardt swung by my room with a giant grin.

"Are ya ready for tonight?"

I smiled sweetly when I finally remembered.

"Of course! I can't wait to see what you've got in store!"

He nervously giggled, but he looked excited.

"I'll see ya at eighteen o'clock by the gate!"

Leaving with a happy strut, I couldn't help but giggle from seeing him that way. He really was so cute with how innocent this soldier was...

I gasped. I DIDN'T HAVE AN OUTFIT!

I sprinted to Dr. Gutherzig's office.

"HELEN, I NEED YOUR HELP!" I screamed when I bursted through her door, nearly making the poor doctor drop her papers

"Cassidy? What's wrong...?"

I bent over to catch my breath first before standing back up and looking directly into her eyes.

"I have a date with Reinhardt, but don't have an outfit for it! Can you help me?!"

Her eyes grew big for a few minutes before her face gave me a devilish grin.

"Got a date with the little lion, huh? What a lucky girl..."

"HELEN, I'M SERIOUS! PLEASE HELP!"

"Ok! Ok! Calm down, and follow me!"

The doctor locked her door, then directed me to her bedroom, which was larger than I thought it'd be, opening up her closet to all her dresses and cute outfits hanging up.

"Wow..."

"Since your breasts aren't as large, we probably don't want something that would form to the breasts. Then again, maybe we should try to make em pop."

I blushed.

"N-No, I'm fine... Just something a bit nicer, thanks..."

The doctor rolled her eyes, then dug into her closet, pulling out some outfits that were a bit... Much... For myself...

Until she pulled out a jean jacket paired with a nice pink tube top, and a knee length black skirt.

"It's one of my simpler outfits, but it's probably a bit more your taste. There's a pair of shorts for under the skirt, just in case."

I smiled, taking the hanger from her.

"This is definitely closer to my taste, though I'm not use to skirts..."

"That's why I mentioned the shorts. That way, you won't feel uncomfortable when sitting."

Changing quickly into the outfit, it was a little baggy, but it felt far more comfortable than most of her clothes would have been...

"You're looking great, Cass!" she leaned onto me, "Knock 'em dead!"

"He's too innocent for that, Helen!"

With an exchange of giggles, slipping into a nice pair of black mary janes, and the doctor helped brush my hair out, and pinning it up in a flowery clip, I made my way to where we were suppose to meet.

I looked around, never getting use to how big the castle itself was, and the enormous entrance...

"Yar early!"

I spun around to where the voice came from, the young soldier walking my way. He was wearing a black leather jacket with a white tank top underneath, wearing some nice jeans to match it. His hair was brushed back, and his beard freshly trimmed and brushed as well.

I couldn't help but blush from how good he looked in that casual outfit...

"Well, since you're already here, want to head out early? And I hope you're hungry, cuz I'm treating you to dinner!"

"R-Reinhardt! Y-You don't have to...!"

He smiled before scanning me, his eyes grew wide as a blush came over his cheeks.

"W-Wow... You look great, Cass..."

I blushed even more.

"T-Thank you, Rein... You're looking handsome yourself."

He smiled sweetly, a smile I don't think I'd see on his face before...

He held his arm out for me to take, which I took without question.

"I promise you'll love what I've got in store!"

. . .

The night was mostly of eating out to a family restaurant with authentic German food, a pretzel shop, window shopping, and the night ended sitting on the hill that looked out to the woods.

"I think you went above and beyond the call! I had SO much fun!"

I giggled, which he joined.

"I told ya that you'd enjoy yourself! It's nice to see you loosen up! And you're damn cute when you get excited!"

My face flushed, giving him a light push.

"S-Stop that! You're making me blush!"

His laughter grew louder.

"What? It's true!"

I hid my face from him, which his hands gently grabbed mine, pulling them away.

"You really are beautiful, Cass..."

"R-Reinhardt..."

Our eyes locked, staring into each other for a few minutes before he caressed my cheek with one hand.

"Cass... D-Do you mind... I-If...?"

I smiled as I leaned closer.

"Of course, Rein..."

The young soldier leaned down, his lips brushing against mine, feeling some of his nerves from his hands. I reached up, pulling him closer, as our lips locked, the smell of peppermint and cologne emanating from him. He smiled into the kiss, tilting his head to deepen it, and pulled me closer, his nostrils filled with shaky breath before we broke.

"Wow..."

I leaned against him, closing my eyes.

"You really are handsome yourself, Rein..."

He smiled, laying his head against mine.

"As well as you, mein schatz..."

I looked up to him.

"Schatz...?"

Reinhardt nodded.

"Is that ok...? I-it means..."

"Sweetheart, I know." I smiled back, "Of course, mein ritter..."

He blushed even more, holding me close.


	6. IT WORKS!

"UGH, WHY CAN'T I FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THE SYRIUM LAST WITHOUT NEARLY KILLING?!" I threw my hands up in the air, days after the date

After that night had occurred, Reinhardt made sure every morning to swing by my room to say hello, drop off breakfast, and wave goodbye. I was fortunate that he realized that I was a busy person, but at the same time, I enjoyed his visits to my room.

It certainly made my mood much better in the lab, surprisingly figuring out of how to make the process work.

But there was still the problem of potentially killing the host...

Throwing an empty clipboard onto the ground, I stood up.

"I need some fresh air... This is getting us no where... I have my phone on hand if you need me..."

. . .

I sat on the edge of the wall Reinhardt had first taken me to before asking me on the date, looking out into the city.

"What are you doing here, liebste?"

Looking up at the knight, I smiled, patting the wall beside me for him to join.

"What are you doing out here yourself?" I asked him

"Today, I'm watching out for threats from up here for any potential threats. You?"

"I'm stuck in my work... Everything I try doing doesn't seem to work, and I can't figure out how to make it work!"

Setting down his hammer, he sat down beside me on the wall.

"It's pretty out there, even in the evening, ja?"

I nodded.

"I didn't know where I should go, so I came up here after you showed it to me to think. If only I knew..."

Ruffled my hair, growling. The German soldier pat my back.

"I wish I knew what you were talking about, but at the very least, I can be here as support!"

My eyes turned to look at him, a small smile formed on my face.

"You're doing more than you might think, you know."

He grinned wide.

"I'm glad I can help in anyway possible!"

A large cockroach climbed up on his armor, making me screech when I noticed.

"OH GOD! A COCKROACH! KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT!"

He laughed out loud, grabbing it with one hand as it wriggled in his hand.

"They're not easy to kill, you know. I heard they can even survive through a nuclear attack."

"I know, bu-!"

It hit me, something finally clicking.

"REINHARDT! Do you have something I could borrow to carry that thing in?!"

His eyes were filled with confusion, but he pulled out a water bottle with almost all the water gone from it, drinking the rest, and throwing the bug into it.

"You'll have to hurry, or you might suffocate it, if that's possible."

Leaning up after taking the bottle, I kissed his cheek, which made him flush.

"Thank you, sweetie! I'll bring your bottle back once I'm done, ok?!"

He nodded, and I climbed off the wall, running as fast as my legs would allow me back to the lab.

"I GOT IT! The reason we never were able to get it to work because WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT COULD KEEP STABLE! AND SURVIVE THROUGH NEARLY ANYTHING!" I rose the bottle, showing off the roach, " **THIS** will stabilize it!"

The others jumped to their feet, the idea clicking in their heads like it had with mine.

. . .

After injecting a few mice, and watching their progress, we were finally able to deem the formula stable.

"Your highness! It's ready!"

The king rose from his seat, a huge grin on his face.

"Show me."


	7. The Griffin is Born

Balderich followed quickly behind me, unsurprisingly he easily was catching up with me with his long legs, but his attention to what was going to be in the lab.

Upon entering, I showed him to the rat we had tested on, a huge grin on my face.

"We've been monitoring this rat I injected a few days ago, and it hasn't decreased in health, nor in muscle mass and strength! By using the DNA of gorillas, super soldier serum from the American government, and cockroaches, we altered and combined them together to create the perfect concoction to create enormous, and very powerful super soldiers without hurting them!

The only catch is, the transformation may take longer to process in the bodies of humans, depending on how large one is. So my guesstimate is a man of your size and stature would take about three or four hours to fully complete the transformation, and it's not going to come without pain. And you HAVE to be awake at the time, so that the brain is functioning at it's fullest capacity."

Balderich nodded.

"Even still... That's impressive, and if you can't alter the time limit, at least we have something that should work, right?"

I nodded.

"Good. Then tell my guards that I might be gone for a few hours. I want to test this right away on myself."

I gasped, eyes growing wide.

"S-Sire, do you think this is a good idea RIGHT NOW?!"

He placed a hand on my shoulder with a smile.

"I know you're scared, but I'm not putting anyone else in danger with this until I know it works. Plus, you can monitor me to see how we can improve upon it."

I nervously looked at him before sighing.

"You're not going to let me argue this, are you?"

The huge German folded his arms, staring me down.

"Fine... But you have to isolated when injected, because you could accidentally hurt someone. The rat was thrashing around while it changed, so because you're going to be a lot stronger than most humans can tolerate, you need to be isolated in a place that withstand your new strength when it happens. Also, probably injected with morphine or something to dull the pain a bit, so you can still be awake."

"You have a room, correct?"

"Yes, your highness. The testing chamber for the Omnics you guys bring in. It can withstand almost the strength of a nuclear bomb without scratching it."

"Then what are we waiting for...?"

 _Let's just hope this works_

 _. . ._

The huge king entered into the testing chambers, with my tiny figure following him.

"You don't have to do this, your highness... You could-!"

"Cassidy. I understand, but my decision is final. Now, inject me."

I fumbled, throwing on latex gloves, giving the morphine some air before injecting it first into his muscular arm. The king gritted his teeth only when it went in, but didn't move a muscle after that.

Once the morphine was a bit spread out in his blood, I injected the opposite arm with the super serum, bolting for the door. The sound of the locks snapping shut echoed behind me.

"Let's just hope he makes it out alive..."

Throwing away the needles were properly disposed of, I didn't waste a second to reach where the observation chamber was.

The chamber was soundproof, with a glass so thick that there wasn't a single crack in it, just marks where Omnics had tried to blast at it.

Meanwhile, the king was screaming, writhing in pain on the other side of the glass. He was hunched over, as his clothes slowly began to tear apart, far too small for the massive muscles that were bubbling all over his body.

"Oh man... Is he ok?!"

One of my fellow scientists held up a laptop, with vitals on it.

"His body is going through a massive shock, which is to be expected, and why he's in so much pain. But his brain activity isn't high enough for concern, thanks to the morphine, I pressume. But he's going to be exhausted after this.."

I frowned.

"Unfortunately, I realize that. Also, he's going to need some new clothes after this: since literally NOTHING in his closet is going to fit. At least get SOMETHING around for him to wear outside of this." I stared sadly at the king, he had grabbed his arms now, howling in pain, "Though I just hope he's going to make it out alive..."

. . .

Three and a half hours passed, his body showed no more signs of change, his brain activity back to normally, and the poor man slumped onto his side, his eyes closed.

"He... HE DID IT! HE'S ALIVE! IT WORKED! RELEASE THE LOCKS!"

Tears fell down my eyes as I ran back inside, checking his vitals myself.

 _Thank god..._

His hand shot out, wrapping around my throat and squeezing it, as the man sat up, his eyes feral as he glared at me.

"WHO ARE YOU?!"

Choking, trying to pull his hands off of me, but not even able to make a dent. Sitting up alone, he must have been at least five to seven feet tall alone!

"S-SIRE! I-IT'S ME! C-CASSIDY! P-PLEASE... S-STOP!"

His face relaxed, then panicked as he let me go, dropping me on the ground as I gagged for air. Had he choked me for any longer, he would have probably killed me!

"CASSIDY?! CASSIDY, ARE YOU OK?!"

He picked me up with one hand easily, bringing me closer to his face. Balderich looked absolutely frightened.

But losing my strength, I blacked out.


	8. When the Cub Becomes a Lion

"Reinhardt, you are NOT going to try out that serum! I... I was scared to use it on Balderich!" the tiny redhead hugged herself, her eyes shifted to look at the ground, "You are the last person I want to use that on..."

The kindhearted German smiled, placing a hand on either side of her shoulders.

"Cassidy... I know you're worried about me, but there have been six others since Alder was altered by your... stuff... And none of them suffered from anything... Right...?"

She turned away from him.

"No. Two did not survive. The third one had a stroke and died shortly, and the other became so deformed that their body couldn't handle the rapid change..."

The man fell silent, squeezing his girlfriend's shoulders slightly.

"Cassidy..."

"Reinhardt... I know we've only been together for a short time... But I... I wouldn't know how to live with myself if I knew I hurt you... Or worse... K-killed you... Y-You're too sweet and kind to go into battle with them... W-What if...? What if it works...?"

"... And then I get sent into the front lines? Liebste... I knew what I was in for the day I joined the Crusaders... If its how I can protect the people..."

The tiny American finally looked at him, her eyes filled with tears, growling.

"FINE! IF YOU WANT TO DIE ON THE FIELD, GO YOU SELFISH PRICK! SEE IF I CARE!"

She sprinted out the door.

"CASSIDY, WAIT!"

But she was already gone.

. . .

She sat on the window of their favorite spot, curled up in a ball. Her eyes were beet red, as she stared out the window into the night sky. How long she had been there, she had no idea...

Sure, she couldn't say that she was in LOVE with him, but he still meant a lot to her... She really liked him more than a friend, but he was also her best friend in Germany. To lose him...

"Liebste...? Can I come in...?"

She stayed silent. A large, heavy sigh echoed throughout the room.

"Lieste... I... I'm sorry I upset you... But I'm a solider like the rest of these men. I signed up to possibly die for my country..." heavy footsteps could be heard approaching her as he continued to speak, "I admit, I'm actually really scared... I... I don't want to die... But if I can help make a difference... I want to do whatever it takes to make sure people are protected... That YOU are safe..."

"Reinhardt, I know I'm terribly clumsy, but I can take care of myself... You don't need to protect me... But..."

Suddenly, something huge scooped her up from the window, bringing Cassidy closer to it. She gasped, nearly falling out of their hands. Her gaze snapped upwards, wondering what the massive thing that was holding her was.

It sounded like...

"REINHARDT! Y-YOU...!"

The once smaller man was now massive in size, and she was tiny in his arms. His hand alone was over half her body alone! He was nowhere nearly as enormous as their leader, but he was still FAR larger than the average man.

"I know you didn't want me to do it, but I knew if I hesitated, you'd never let me do it..."

"YOU DIDN'T LISTEN TO ME! MEIN GOTT, DER DUMMKOPF!"

The young engineer punched his chest, but he didn't even flinch, nor did it give. In fact, she actually hurt herself from hitting him!

"Did you hurt yourself again? Come on; let's have Dr. Gutherzig look at your hand."

Cassidy struggled in his hands, but she couldn't escape his grip. He was just too strong...

She crossed her arms as he carried her, her face bright red.

"... You know, no one has ever carried me like this..."

He laughed.

"When we first met, you were a bit bigger in my hands before, but I carried you all the way back to the castle after you were attacked by those Bastion units. So, you just didn't know you did. This is, however, the first time you have awake."

She hid her face in his tremendous chest, her ears were turning as red as her face.

"... You jerk..."

He laughed even harder, which vibrated in the halls a bit, shaking some of the suits of armors nearby. Reinhardt leaned down, kissing her forehead.

"You're adorable when you're embarrassed."

"... Shut up..."

He stopped, hugging her a bit, and laid his huge head against hers.

"I'm sorry I went against your wishes, Liebste... But now we can work together, instead of you disappearing for weeks on end, right...? And someone's got to keep an eye on you, you know..."

"Reinhardt..."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"... Why do you want to protect me so much...? Why... Why do you want to be with me...? I'm not very feminine, nor am I exactly polite... I'm nothing like most girls... And I get hurt a lot..."

The huge man took a deep breath, and released before he began to walk again.

"What are you talking about? Who cares if you're not feminine? Or polite? Who cares if you're not like most?

That's not why I fell for you, Cassidy.

I fell for you because you are strong, stubborn, determined, worried about others well being..." he reached down, tilting her head up to look at him, which he smiled like never before... which caused Cassidy to become redder than a tomato and fall silent, "And you are far more beautiful than you give yourself credit for. Do you remember that outfit you wore for our first date...? I couldn't believe you could look even more sexy than you already are, and I am happy to call you mine, Liebe...

So don't you EVER think you are not worth my attention, or my affections, because YOU ARE!"

Cassidy's jaw dropped.

Did he just say what she thought he just said...?

"Cassidy... There's no one else I'd rather be than with you. No one else has made me feel like this like you have... So stop thinking you're not good enough..."

She smiled, grabbing his face, which startled him.

"Shut up and kiss me, you adorable softy."

Cassidy pulled his head down, locking lips with his, wrapping her arms around his neck. Reinhardt's eyes grew huge, before they slowly closed, leaning into her kiss. His free hand held the back of her head, making sure he could kiss her as deep and passionately as he wanted to before they broke, panting slightly.

"You are too sweet sometimes, you know that? And... Danke..."

He grinned sweetly, laying his forehead against hers.

"I only speak the truth, Liebe... And... Bitte..."


	9. And Then There Was One

Time seem to fly by quickly as the days went by, then weeks, then months...

Until two years flew by, and the Crusaders had made a HUGE impact with the Omnic War, finally able to push back the robots, and saving far more people than ever before.

But something was up...

"Reports of hundreds of Omnics are said to gather about ten miles from here, your highness! They look like they might make for a final push towards us!"

Balderich sighed, then looked up.

"Call the Crusaders up. We'll begin evacuation maneuvers shortly. Meanwhile, begin cleaning up everything you will need before we leave! Only bring important research!"

"Yes sir. Right away."

"And make sure Miss Spencer grabs her research about the program, ja?"

"Of course, you highness."

. . .

Sirens blared as Eichenwalde began to become a haze of panic and running. Most of the scientists had gathered their data before they were evacuated, while most of the Crusaders were tasked with prepare for the oncoming attack.

Only three Crusaders were chosen to escort the civilians, Reinhardt included.

"LIEBE! WE NEED TO GO NOW!"

Reinhardt had found his lover in the labs, still gathering up her research.

"Mein Löwe! What are you doing here?! Aren't you suppose to be evacuating the civilians?!"

"Yes, but when I noticed you weren't among them, I panicked, and told the others I was grabbing you! Besides, they left a car for us to escape with! The rest of the people have already left Eichenwalde, and its only the remaining Crusaders, and you!"

Cassidy frowned.

"Love, I know you're worried about me, but I can take care of myself! Besides, I'm downloading the rest of my files onto my hidden digital network, in case my external hard drive gets damaged!"

"Please hurry! They're almost...!"

A boom echoed over the castle, as it shook violently, causing some of it to crumble around the room.

"CASSIDY!"

"Almost done...!"

Another boom, this time, a huge chunk of the ceiling collapsed near where Cassidy was. Seeing where it might hit, the enormous German dove at his lover, lifting his arm up, and calling up his massive shield, it's bluish hue lit up around them as rocks and metal pelted it, slowly cracking it.

"CASSIDY, I CAN'T HOLD IT MUCH LONGER!"

"Almost... DONE!"

Reinhardt didn't take another second before scooping up the little red headed woman in his free hand, turning his exhaust on the back of his armor, and charging out of the room, slamming against the wall on the other side of the doorway. He grunted a bit, but held his girl close, determination in his eyes.

"HANG ON, LIEBE!"

He covered her with his body as they ran, his heavy armor clanked against the crumbling rocks. Every piece of rubble that hit his armor clanked loudly, making the inside of it ring, and denting it. He was going to make sure the love of his life was going to survive, even if he didn't!

They finally made it to the car, climbing inside before they began to drive away, watching the destruction the robots were causing, and watching their home being destroyed.

"When this is over... We need a vacation..."

Cassidy, who had taken the wheel, nodded.

"For once, I'll have to agree with this. All this destruction... Our home... All those lives..."

Reinhardt placed one of his hands on her shoulder.

"We saved most of them. Let's just hope most of them make it out of this battle..."

A huge tree fell several feet in front of them, causing Cassidy to swerve, trying not to crash. But the sudden turn made the vehicle topple to it's side, sliding deeper into the woods. The massive solider covered the tiny woman the best he could, hoping to save her from anything too severe.

Smashing into a boulder almost twice the size of the vehicle, the two were thrown from the car, Reinhardt smacking into a nearby tree.

He stood up once his body wasn't stunned from the sudden shock from the impact, pulling his helmet off to look around. There was a massive scar bleeding over his left eye, the visor had broken from all the abuse, and sliced his eye.

"CASSIDY?! LIEBE?! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

But nothing answered.

Terror struck him, tearing the place around him apart to find his American lover.

"CASSIDY!"

Eventually, the German man was found by his other surviving comrades, but he was never able to find his lover.

They drove away from their home, silence fell over them all.

Reinhardt looked down, pulling out a tiny box from inside pants after removing his armor, and opened it. Inside was a diamond ring, carved into the same shape as his shield had. Tears overflowed from his eyes.

"Cassidy... Mein Adler Liebe..."


	10. When One Became Two Once More

Jack stepped into the meeting room with a smile on his face, Ana follow close behind him.

"Now you must all be wondering why I suddenly called you in here," he began, "but today we have a new member of Overwatch joining us today."

The blonde haired man looked towards the door, holding an arm out.

"Come on in, Miss Spencer."

Reinhardt, who had stumbled into the meeting room late when his eyes fell upon a familiar figure walking into the room towards Jack and Ana. His jaw dropped.

"C-Cassidy...?"

The ginger woman has wisps of gray in her hair, burns scarred from her neck all the way down to the middle of her left arm, and where her once beautiful legs were now were replaced with cybernetic limbs.

But her same green eyes were still just as beautiful as he remembered them. Even with age...

He fell to his knees, tears forming in his eyes.

"C-Cas-sidy... Y-You're alive...?"

Everyone in the room was filled with confusion, turning to look at each other and whispering.

The new recruit smiled, slowly approaching the enormous German.

"Hello Reinhardt..."

"I-It is you... B-But...!"

Jack spoke up.

"Clearly you two need to catch up, so if you don't mind, could you take her to her new room? It's by Slkya..."

Reinhardt never took his eyes off of Cassidy, but nodded as he shakily stood back up, holding his hand out to her.

"S-Shall we...?"

She simply nodded, taking his hand and the two headed to her new room.

Reinhardt had so many questions, but he wanted to wait till they were in her room before he bombarded her with questions. He was both so confused and happy to see her again. But it had been so long since he had last saw her...

"Reinhardt...? Are you ok...?"

His eyes fell onto the tiny woman, silently nodding, which was uncommon for him to be.

"I-I... I just have so many questions... B-But..."

She slightly giggled, petting his arm.

"Shhhh, I get it. Let's just get there first, and then I'll explain, ok?"

The tears began to form again, but he nodded once more.

It felt like a million years had passed walking to that room before they arrived, Reinhardt taking no time to lock the door, picking her up, and holding her close.

"C-Cassidy... This isn't a dream..." tears fell down his face, "This is real... F-Finally..."

Wrapping her tiny arms around his neck, she hugged as tight as she could, burying her face in his neck.

"It really is me, yes."

He pulled her away enough to face her once more, tilting her head gently upward.

"What happened to you... L-Liebe...?"

She sighed as she began.

"That day... When I woke up, it was dark out, and I had no idea where I was... Or where you were..." she looked down at her legs, "but I was losing feeling in my feet, so I drug myself to the nearest road, hoping I could find someone. Luckily, a hiker had been walking nearby, and rushed me to a hospital, where I blacked out shortly after.

When I woke up once more, my legs... Were gone..."

She began to shake, her hands digging into his shirt, which he immediate realized, setting her down onto her bed, and knelt before her as he continued to listen.

"I-It took years... B-but I was able to c-come up with b-blue prints for t-these legs... A-and convinced the doctors to help me b-build them and install them... And i-it took several more y-years to finally learn h-how they worked...

It was my legs, and my previous work that interested your friend, Jack Morrison, to come seek me out, and fund me on future projects for things like this... To stop this war for good...

And he told me you were here, I didn't believe him at first, saying the Reinhardt I knew was gone... But he told me everything he knew about you, which was EXACTLY the same one I knew so long ago... So I accepted his proposal..."

"C-Cassidy... I-I...!"

She lifted a finger to his lips, and they closed shut.

"Shhh... I know... I heard later what happened to the Crusaders... And I'm not mad at you, Reinhardt..."

He couldn't take it, the memories of the Crusaders flooded back, forcing him to choke up and cover his head with his hands, hunching over. The tears were so heavy.

"I-I TRIED...! B-But Balderich...! H-He...!"

The little American rubbed his arm.

"He sent you away, didn't he? He always took a shining to you, you know... Probably knew that would be their last fight..."

"B-BUT I WAS ONE OF THEM! W-WHY SPARE ME?!"

"Not only were you the smallest, but you were the youngest. Plus, he cared for you like a son, Reinhardt... You know he would have sent both of us away, right?"

"N-No one survived... N-Not even...!"

"Dr. Gutherzig... I... I know... She... She left a letter to me before she died..."

Cassidy stood up, walking to her stuff, rummaging through it till she pulled out a worn out folded piece of paper, opening it up and read it to Reinhardt.

" _Dear Cassidy, if you're still alive..._

 _Since this will most likely be the last time I can do this, since we're basically doing a suicide mission, I wanted to shared a few things with you before I die._

 _First of all, Reinhardt was pulled off the mission, and sent away as an "Ambassador" for the UN to deal with the global threat of the Omnic Crisis. He hoped not only could he convince them to take action, but also to have him escape his death during this mission. There's a good chance we'll win, but not without wiping most of us out..._

 _Second, that if you are alive, you should have fucking wrote or told someone about it! How DARE you try dying without saying goodbye, you American brat!_

 _Third... As much as I made fun of you... You were the best friend I ever had... And for the short time we had together, I will treasure for the rest of my life... No matter how long or short it will be..._

 _And finally, Reinhardt is so heartbroken about your disappearance that if you died before receiving this, I'm going to find you in the afterlife, and kick your ass! But if not... Please... Find him again... He... He needs you... You became his whole world, and now that you're gone... His world has been shattered... Especially after... We'll be gone..._

 _So I want to say goodbye... and if you are alive... Please... Have a great life, and keep fighting for what's right._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Your friend,_

 _Dr. Helen Gutherzig"_

Cassidy was now crying, tear drops staining the paper as she finished, dropping the paper, and letting it float to the ground, curling into the enormous German's side. The white lion wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close.

The sounds of choking tears and whimpers were the only things heard in the room for a few minutes before she calmed down, wiping the tears away from her eyes. But Reinhardt did not let go.

"Cassidy... I... I was so upset when I couldn't find you... A-And then I was sent away..." he squeezed a bit, "... T-Then Jack... H-He convinced the UN t-to start Overwatch... I've been here ever since..."

His massive frame curled into the tiny woman.

"Cassidy... D-Do... Do you still... Do you still love me...? Even after all these years h-have gone by...?"

The little woman climbed on top of the bed, grabbing his face, and pulled his face down into her lips, kissing him so desperately that you could feel all her emotions flooding into it.

"Mein Lowe... I... I never forgot you... I'll always love you, my lion..."

That was it. All those emotions he had held back came forth, his own lips crashing into hers, holding her as tight as he could without hurting her.

What happened after that... Well... I think you can figure it out...


	11. Epilogue

The giant man, his hair now completely snow white, his hair slicked back into a tiny ponytail, so that his hair wouldn't fall in front of his face. His matching beard had been trimmed just enough so that there were no stay hairs, and brushed to look nearly brand new.

He crossed his hands before him, fidgety and covered in sweat, as he looked down the aisle, his heart racing both in nerves and in excitement. The giant German even had a fresh white tux that had to be custom fitted many months in advance, and a pair of sleek, black loafers to top it all off.

Torbjorn noticed his friend wasn't exactly... Calm... But not like. Sure, he normally wasn't ever "calm", but he almost never seen him so anxious as this.

'Think you're going to survive this, big guy?' The little Swedish man whispered, nudging him

The old man sighed shakily.

'I have waited long enough for this day, but now that it's here... I'm more nervous _I'm_ going to mess this up...' he replied, though frightened, his answer was filled with absolute certainty

The tiny mechanic laughed lightly.

'You got this, Rein. Besides, she'll be here any-" he tried to reassure him

But the sound of the organ began to boom and echo throughout the hall, people in the pews rising from their seats to turn to the door in the back. They slowly creaked open, as a now white haired Cassidy, her usual braid now decorated with flowers in it, was revealed behind it, sporting a fairly simple, but beautiful white wedding dress.

Reinhardt held his breath, taking in the sight of the lovely bride, his nerves turned more into excitement, and a smile that grew as wide as his face formed, even his pearly whites showing.

The little bride was accompanied by Ana, since the old woman's parents had died long before Rein had ever met her, and she had no other to pass her off to the groom. Brigitte followed behind them, throwing flowers behind them, despite her being a twenty year old woman.

Cassidy was shaking from the crowd watching her approach the alter, hanging onto her old friend tightly.

'You'll be fine, Cass. You've been waiting for this day, haven't you?' Ana asked

Cassidy nodded.

'Then you have nothing to worry about. It will just be you and him up there. The crowd isn't the one you need to be worried about. Just focus on him.'

Cassidy gulped.

'Easier said than done. I'm not used to being in the spotlight like this...'

'Sadigaa, today is not about all these people. Today is about you and him, and the life you will be spending for the rest of your lives after all this. Isn't that more exciting than all these eyes?'

The little American smiled brightly, turning to look to her friend.

'Thank you, Ana. I am glad I have a great friend like you.'

She hugged her Egyptian friend tightly, before Ana passed her onto a large hand, ready to take the old American by the hand. Cassidy took it, and the hand gently pulled up to stand before the massive German, his one good cerulean eye trained on her, and a gentle smile on his face as he held her hands in his.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of these two long lost lovers, despite how often fate torn them apart." the preacher began

His voice was barely audible to the old couple at the alter, the only sight either of them was focused on.

'Who would have thought it would have taken us nearly forty years before this day finally arrived?' Cassidy tried to joke

'But it was worth it in the long run, Liebling. This day couldn't come soon enough.'

'Even if we're too old to have kids of our own? Even if one day, our age may take us sooner than we would like?'

Reinhardt leaned down, closing the gap between them.

'That doesn't matter to me in the long run. What matters is that I love you, and no matter what our age or our health conditions, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. YOU are what matters most, Liebling.'

Cassidy blushed brightly as the German let out a soft chuckle, before return to his stance before her.

'Reinhardt, I've wanted this so bad... I've wanted YOU so badly... That no amount of children or grandchildren we could have had would ever deter me from loving you, or wanting to spend my life with you as well.'

'Then I don't have anything to fear, do I? I have the best support any many could ask for by my side.'

"Do you, Reinhardt Wilhelm, take Cassidy Spencer to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" the preacher interrupted, both the bride and groom blushing slightly

"Ja!" Reinhardt nearly shouted it, his enormous smile returning on his face

"And do you, Cassidy Spencer, take Reinhardt Wilhelm to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I didn't wait nearly forty years of my life to answer otherwise! Yes; yes I do!"

The preacher snapped his bible shut, a grin forming on his own face.

"Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you: husband and wife."

The poor man never even needed to state the next part, the large German already dipping his love.

"Ich liebe dich, Mein Frau." he hummed

"I love you too, my wonderful husband."

Their lips locked, and the crowd cheered for the newly wed couple, Torb in a fit of sobs, while Ana had more reserved tears. Brigitte, however, was bouncing with excitement, her godfather finally getting the happy ending she knew he deserved.

Reinhardt easily snatched his new wife into his arms, and ran out the door with her, the two laughing and crying with joy.


End file.
